Chairman appointed for Shrewsbury Infant Cremation Inquiry
An independent inquiry begins this week into infant cremations at Emstrey Crematorium in Shrewsbury following the appointment of a Chairman for the inquiry.
The inquiry has been commissioned by Shropshire Council at the request of bereaved families, to look into cases where no ashes were returned to families following the cremation of a baby or unborn child at Emstrey crematorium.
It is expected to last several months, and it is hoped that a report containing findings, conclusions and recommendations will be published by the end of April 2015.
The inquiry will be chaired by David Jenkins, a solicitor, and former Chief Executive of Dorset County Council, who was been recommended for the role by the Local Government Association.
David held legal posts with Oxfordshire County Council, the Local Government Ombudsman service, and Hampshire County Council, before joining Dorset County Council in 1989. There he held various legal and managerial posts, before serving as Chief Executive from 1999 to 2012.
David has extensive experience of the public service, having chaired the Dorset Connexions company; the Dorset Youth Offending Team Board; the Total Place Board for Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole; and the Steering Group that put in place the arrangements for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing events.
A former Chairman of the Association of County Chief Executives, David has led reviews, and participated in inspections, of a number of other local authorities and public service organisations.
David’s first job will be to agree the scope and terms of reference of the inquiry, which is likely to review and consider the policies, practices and procedures involved in infant cremations at Emstrey crematorium.
Emstrey Crematorium was owned and managed by the former Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council until April 2009, when the new, unitary, Shropshire Council came into being. Since September 2011 it has been managed by Co-Operative Funeralcare on behalf of Shropshire Council.
Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:
“I’m really pleased that David has agreed to chair the inquiry and I’m confident that he is the right person to carry out this very important role. He has all the right experience and qualifications and, importantly, is independent.
“With an inquiry of this type and importance it was important that we identified the right person to chair it. This work does take time, but I’m pleased that we have now found the best man for the job, and that he has accepted our invitation to chair the inquiry.”
